kate beckett

(S02E20) First of all, 'The Late Shaft?' really? That has to already be a porno,right? If it isn't already, I'm sure it's going to be now. After the endless media scrutiny, and of course after Conan's big news, it's really fun to see a new spin on the Late Night Wars. Things got pretty heated between Conan and Jay, so someone getting killed with balsamic vinegar was really the natural progression of the whole thing.

Also, balsamic vinegar? I watch enough Big Pharma commercials to know about MAO inhibitors, but fermentation? Come on, Internet doctors, help me out. Is this even possible in a parallel universe? And if so, why isn't everybody killing everyone this way all the time? Also, a salad sounds pretty good right now.

An ancient mummy on the loose in the streets of New York City? Yes, okay, it does sound like the plot of a 'Scooby-Doo' episode. But it also happens to be the plot of the most recent episode of 'Castle' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC). Novelist turned crime-fighter Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) investigates the murder of a museum curator, along with his partner Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). And soon, they begin to suspect that something very weird is going on.
Watch the video after the jump.

(S02E15) First of all, those stilettos Beckett had on were awesome. I'm not saying that so much as a girl crush, but as more of a 'Sex and the City' sort of style thing. Her mullet seems to have calmed down a little, and overall, I'm liking her style (though I'm still on the fence about her jacket pictured above). Girlfriends, what say you about the jacket?!

(S02E14) Well, this was certainly a complex episode. There were so many twists and turns, that it was hard to keep up at times. What made it even more interesting is the fact that the entire episode was riddled with weird (though not unenjoyable) sitcom cliches. At the end of the episode, I learned two things: I would really like my next job title to be "gentleman squatter," and Castle and Beckett are in loooove.

I'm not in the camp that thinks Castle and Beckett getting together automatically means the series is doomed, but I'm not exactly waiting for the inevitable hook-up with bated breath. However, if they keep throwing their love for each other in our faces like they've been doing recently, then it's going to get pretty difficult to not spend most of the hour sitting in front of my TV yelling, "You're both pretty! Just do it and move on!"

(S02E10) ""A wife and a fiance catfight ... please can we stop for popcorn on the way?" - Castle

Molly C. Quinn is such a cutie. I loved the storyline this week where she volunteers to categorize evidence, and in doing so, uses her skills to help return someone's precious "brag book" to them. She takes after her dad in the "big heart" department.

Castle is good about that. They could have made Richard Castle as a roguish playboy who chases women and loves a good time, and while he's got some of that in him (see above quote), he's also a dedicated family man. The writers are good about the characters that way. Beckett is a hard-nosed detective, but she's also good with people, excelling at giving them bad news in such a way as to soften the blow.

(S02E08) "I've been bombarded with friend requests. It's like a full-time job." - Martha, on her new "MyFace" page

The interaction between Castle and Beckett, and between Castle and his family, continue to be more interesting to me than the cases themselves. I like the old-fashioned whodunnit-type storylines, but find myself looking forward to the non-case scenes. That said, Castle still contains a good mix of something for everyone, whether you like the cases or the relationships.

While watching tonight's episode, I also found myself thinking, if only Nathan Fillion would follow me around while I'm working. I probably wouldn't get much done, though.

(S02E06) Ooh, several Joss Whedon references in the first few minutes, including "space cowboy" and Buffy's vampires. Throw in a reference to Frank Miller, and it's a geeky fantasy paradise. I also got a little of my vampire fix, even if they weren't the real thing. I don't know that Kona's that into vampires, so I'm glad this episode aired on my week to review Castle.

It was the usual whodunnit frolicry, with Castle and Beckett trying to piece together a murder mystery involving vampires, werewolves, and a murder that took place 18 years earlier. And the vampires and werewolves were as close to the real thing as a human can get -- with implanted fur, fang veneers, and a disease that made it impossible to go out in the daytime, lest the person catch on fire. There was even a cemetery and a stake through the heart.

(S02E04) "A con man isn't just about the money; it's about the game." - Castle

This week's episode of Castle continued the theme of a puzzling whodunit that takes viewers on a little journey to solve the crime. I was kept guessing the whole time, which is one reason I love Castle. The other, of course, is the lovely rat-a-tat banter between Castle and Beckett. Like a classic movie starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.

And it's clear that Beckett is trying hard to hide her intrigue over Castle and his work -- making a date with herself to soak in a sudsy tub, drink wine and read his novel based on her. And then the end scene where he catches her in the bathroom looking for the steamy sex scene in the book. Oh my.

(S02E02) "What is it about full moons that brings out the crazies?" - Castle to Beckett

That line above exemplifies what I love about Castle. Richard Castle is enjoying the bizarre perps and collars traipsing through the police department; he's eating snacks and having fun, while Kate just rolls her eyes at both him and the people. They're such total opposites -- Beckett so cool and controlled and Castle like a giddy kid -- and I hope they don't mess it up by having them hook up. I was just reading a story in one of the entertainment mags, where Stana Katic says that, too. She doesn't want them to get together because it's so cliche.

This week in Jane After Dark, I caught up with season one of Castle. I'm a sucker for fun whodunits, especially when they feature great male and female characters who've perfected the art of the snappy banter. Specifically, here are five reasons why I'm loving Castle:
1. Nathan Fillion is boyishly charming. I've been a big fan of this Joss Whedon favorite since seeing him in 2005's feature film Serenity. I finally completed that awesome circle by watching Firefly last winter. Fillion has the ability to be goofy one minute and deadly serious the next. In Castle, he plays Richard Castle, a best-selling mystery author who's raising a 15-year-old daughter Alexis (Molly C. Quinn) -- and, in many ways, his free-spirited live-in mother Martha (Susan Sullivan), as well. Having killed off his latest fictional character, Richard found inspiration in NYPD detective Kate Beckett, after being called in to advise on a case. Now they're working as pseudo-partners.

Nathan Fillion deserves a break. Sure, he's had a successful career with memorable guest turns in recent hits such as Lost and Desperate Housewives. And sure, he's got cult hits like Firefly and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog under his belt, too. However, as of late, the well has run dry for Fillion (Drive, anyone?), and let's be honest - a man cannot live off of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place residuals alone. So I'll say it again - the man deserves a break. Castle, unfortunately, is not that break.